Individual iron club heads in a set typically increase progressively in face surface area and weight as the clubs progress from the long irons to the short irons and wedges. The club heads of the long irons have a smaller face surface area than the short irons and are typically more difficult for the average golfer to hit consistently well. For conventional club heads, this arises at least in part due to the smaller sweet spot of the corresponding smaller face surface area and due to longer shaft length.
Golfers of different skill levels prefer golf clubs with different design configurations. Recreational golfers and high handicap players generally prefer cavity back irons, because the perimeter weighting is more forgiving on mishits, especially with the long irons. Additionally, recreational golfers also prefer oversized clubs, especially in the long irons, to improve the chance of hitting the ball properly. On the other hand, mid-handicap and low handicap players prefer the mid-size clubs.
Professional and low handicap golfers prefer muscle back irons due to their superior workability and ability to shape shots. Muscle back clubs also possess the classic appearance valued by most golfers. The mid-handicap players, on the other hand, prefer the forgiving clubs for the long irons and workable clubs for the short irons.
In order for golfers to customize their sets, golf manufacturers would have to manufacture complete sets of oversized cavity backs (3-iron—P), mid-sized cavity backs (2-iron —P) and muscle backs (2-iron—P) and warehouse them, without knowing which individual clubs the buyers would choose. This can cause uneven distribution in the manufacturing-to-sale channel, and increases the number of SKUs (stock keeping units) that manufacturers and retailers must keep. Furthermore, the buyer may choose individual clubs that are not optimal for their plays.
Hence, their remains a need for a system that allows the golf club buyers to customize and optimize their iron set and for the golf manufacturers to optimize production and minimize the number of SKUs.